Vibrating endless screen



s. M. AKEYsoN A VIBRATING ENDLESS SCREEN Jan. 11, 1938.

Filed Deo. 10, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 /7 7' TUR/VEL I /V Vf /V TOR.

Jn 1l, 1938. s. M. AKEYsoN u VIBRATING' ENDLESS SCREEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. l0, 1934 NU I /V VE /V TOR. BSW/sw. M. //ffXOM i 7 TOR/VEZ Prouse Jon. .11, 193s .fUNlTE-D/ STATES PATENT y I I v'VIBRATIN(rz'lllsESS SCREEN I I .....llftftg521m,

' This invention relates to a vibrating endless screen, the purpose of which is'to separate materials of different sizes, 'such as sand, from drilling mud used in the drilling of oil wells.

An object4 of my invention is to provide a screen of the character stated which will effectively handle a large volume of the drilling mud, and which can be readily placed in a ditch adjacent a well. Since my screen is relatively low, l no pit, or the like, is required.

Another object is to provide a novel screen belt which moves over sprockets in the frame. Still another object is to provide a novel means of vibrating-the upper Areach only, of the screen l belt.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined 4detailed description, and

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the.

vibrating frame and the eccentric shaft.

Figure 3 4is* a top plan view of the vibrating frame.

Figure o is a plan view of the vibrating endless screen. z

Figure 5 is an end view of thesame.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of the main frame and vibrating frame.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the vibrating frame, showing one of the mounting assemblies.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side view of one of the screen panels showing the method of attaching the screen to the chain.

Figure 9 is a plan view of one of the screen panels.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

my vibrating endlessscreen comprises a subsantially rectangular fram-e I--preferably made of structural members-and the frame I is supported upon four legs 2. A shaft 3 is journaled in a pair of legs at one end of the frame, and the shaft 4 is journaled in a pair of legs at the other end of the frame. The shaft 4 is movable horizontally vso as to tighten the screen belt, as will be evident from the subsequent description. f

`Sprockets 5 are mounted on the shaft 3 and sprockets 6 are mounted on the shaft 4. A chain 1 travels over corresponding pairs of sprockets on the shafts 3, 4 to carry the screen panels along. A plurality of screen panels 8 are mounted transversely of the machine upon the chains 1.' Each screen panel is s ecuredto the 'chains at one edge thereof. The other edge is free and overlaps the secured edge of the adjacent panel.

the metal plate 9 is then bent over on the screens to hold them securely in position. y yA pair of clips I2 are suitably attached to each of the screen panels and these clips encircle the chains, thereby attaching the panels to the 15 chains. As previously stated, the clips are attached to only one edge of the screen panelsso that the other edge thereof is left free, for the purpose previously stated.

A vibrating'frame I3 is mounted under the upper reach of the screen, and consists of three longitudinally extending bars I4. VEach of the chains 1 rests on one of the bars I4 along the upper reach thereof, only, and by vibrating the frame I3, it is evident that the upper reach only 25 of the cha-ins and the attached screen panels, will be vibrated.

The frame I3 is vibrated by the following arrangement: The shaft I5 is mounted in a sleeve I6, and is unbalanced. The sleeve is attached $0 vto the vibrating frame I3, but the outer members' of this frame are yieldably vattached to the sleeve by means of rubber rings Il. The purpose of these rubber rings isto relieve the bearings I8 k from an excessive amount of shock. The shaft 35 I5 is journaled in bearings I9, I9, which bearings are attached to the under side ofthe frame I. The shaft I5 is rotated by a motor 20 which is mounted upon a stand' 2| positioned at one k endof the frame I. A belt, or the like, 22.extends 40 from a pulley on the armature of the motor 20 to a pulley on the shaft I5. The same motor 20 also serves to slowly move the chains l and the attached screen panels 8 thru a reduction Y gear 23 and belts, or the like, 24, 25 which ex- 45 tend to a pulley 26 on the end of the shaft`3. The vibrating frame I3 has a spring mounting arranged substantially as follows: A pair of plates 21, 28 extend transversely of the frame l and adjacent each end thereof. On the outerou ends of eooh of the plates 21, 2s, I provide 'ai' downwardly'extending pin 29. Each of the pins 29 extends into a cylinder 30 and each pin is also provided with a piston plateSI vattached thereto and positioned within the'oynn'do'r. A. con' 5:;

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springs 32, 33-are mounted within each cylinder 30 and positioned respectively above and below the piston plate 3|. Thus, as the vibrating .frame is moved vertically, the springs will yield, enabling the frame to be easily vibrated, and imparting a more continuous motion to said frame.

The cylinders 30 are xedly attached to the underside of the frame I adjacent each end thereof. To eliminate a metal to metal contact between the plates 21 and the top of the cylinders 30, a rubber bumper 34 is positioned between said plates and the top of each of the cylinders 30.

To prevent the material from floating off the outer edges of the screen panels 8, I provide a yieldable fillet 35 on each side of the machine. This fillet is preferably made of rubber and is secured to the inside of the frame members l and engages the top surface of the screen panels 8 at each side thereof. A flume 36 carries the material to one end of the endless screen, and the large, unwanted materials, spill off the end of the conveyor at 31, and the fine, usable material drops thru the screen panels 8 upon an inclined apron 38. This apron is positioned between the upper and lower reaches of the endless screen, and the fine, usable drilling mud is conducted off to one side into a shoot or ditch 39. In screening drilling mud, the coarse material, such as sand, gravel, or the like, is unwanted and is injurious to the equipment; Consequently, this latter material is dropped into a sump at 31, while the fine, useful mudgoes into the ditch and returns to the pumps.

It will be evident from the foregoing construction that the over-all height of my machine is not great, and therefore, the distance between the flume 36 and the ditch 39 is comparatively small, so that my machine can be operated without digging a deep pit, and if desired, can be used in connection with the ordinary ditch and fiume equipment of the usual drilling rig.

The lower reach of the endless screen is preferably supported upon bars 40 which extend between and are secured to the legs 2 at each end ofthe machine.

My machine also presents a large screening surface to the incoming mud and therefore large quantities of mud can be screened. If desired, the discharge end of the machine can be slightly lelevated to retard the movement of the mud on the upper reach of the endless screen, thus increasing the time that the mud rests on the screen panels. The upper reach, only, of the endless screen is vibrated, which reduces the wear on the screen and the frame, and also enables the over-all height of the machine to be reduced.

A control gate 4I may be provided at the outlet end of the flume 36 for the purpose of controlling the flow of material onto the endless screen. The purpose of this gate is to prevent overloading of the machine.

A spray nozzle 42 is mounted above the screen 8 for the purpose of washing the screen with clean water.

The unbalanced shaft I5, will whip or will be distorted between its journals I9 and it is this whip or distortion which imparts a slight vibration to the vibrating frame I4. The movement of this frame I4, is not great and consequently the slight gyratoryimovement thereof will be permitted if the bolt 29 in Fig. 7 has only a slight movement in its mounting. In treating drilling mud, it is not necessary to impart a violent motion to the screen and for this reason the unbalanced shaft imparts suiiicient vibration, even though the distortion or throw of the unbalanced shaft is but slight. The bearings of theunbalanced shaft do not receive a very great thrust and consequently the main frame is not stressed to any extent where it would be dangerous to operate the machine.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1L A vibrating endless' screen comprising a frame, a shaft journaled in said frame adjacent each end of the frame, sprockets on each oi' the shafts, chains encircling the sprockets, a plurality of screen panels, means at one edge of the screen panels attaching the same to the chains, the other edge of the screen panels overlapping the adjacent panel, said screen panels extending transversely of the frame to form an endless screen, drive means extending to one of the shafts, a vibrating frame engaging the upper reach of said chains, resilient supporting means for said vibrating frame, an off-balance shaft journaled on the ilrst'named frame, a sleeve surrounding the last named shaft, means journaling the last named shaft in the sleeve, a resilient means attaching said sleeve to the vibrating frame, and means to rotate said shaft whereby the vibrating frame is vibrated.

2. A vibrating endlessI screen comprising a frame, a shaft journaled in said frame adjacent each end of the frame, sprockets on each of the shafts, chains encircling the sprockets, a plurality of screen panels, means at one edge of the screen panels attaching the same to the chains, the other edge of the screen panels overlapping the adjacent panel, said screen panels extending transversely of the frame to form an endless screen, drive means extending to one of the shafts, a vibrating frame engaging the upper reach of said chains, resilient supporting means for said vibrating frame, an off-balance shaft journaled on the firstnamed frame, a sleeve surrounding the last named shaft, anti-friction bearings between the sleeve and the last named shaft, resilient rings on the sleeve, means securing the rings to the vibrating frame, and means to rotate said shaft whereby the vibrating frame is vibrated. y

3. A vibrating endless screen comprising a frame, a shaft journaled in said frame adjacent each end of the frame, sprockets on each of the shafts, chains encircling the sprockets, a plurality of screen panels, each of said panels, including aplurality A.of vsuperimposed screens of different meshes, means at one edge of the panels attaching the same to the chains, the other edge of the panels overlapping the adjacent panel, said panels extending transversely of the frame to form an endless sc'reen, drive means extending to one of the shafts, a vibrating frame engaging the upper reach of said chains, resilient supporting means for said vibrating frame, an off-balance shaft journaled on the first named frame, a sleeve surrounding said last named shaft, means journaling the sleeve'on the last.named shaft, resilient attaching means between'the sleeve and the vibrating frame, means to rotate said last named shaft whereby the vibrating frame is vibrated, a flexible fillet on the frame overlaying the side edge ofthe screen panels along the upper reach of the endless screen, and an inclined apron between the upper and lower reaches of the endless screen whereby material is carried beyond the side edges of the lower reach of the endlessscreen.

SWAN M. AKEYSON. 

